Tag: sour beer

There are quite literally hundreds of different sour beers that have been released by different breweries over the course of the last year or so. It seems to be one of the hottest styles that is present when it comes to microbrewery efforts and Des Moines, Iowa’s Exile Brewing is trying their hand at an easy drinking sessionable sort of tart beer with their Beatnik Sour. Continue reading “Beatnik Sour (Exile Brewing)”

Taming the Savage Heart, the latest release from Austin, Texas’ Oddwood Ales (a subsidiary of Adelbert’s) is a great entry into the subset of sour beers, a blend of younger and older barrel-aged efforts. The brewery does well to provide a nuanced and varied flavor profile here, avoiding the tendency by some breweries to create something akin to sucking on a warhead. As a result the brewery is able to go and elicit certain flavors (citrus, oak, hay) from the beer that may otherwise be lost with strongly flavored sour components.

Taming the Savage Heart has a fair amount of wheat and grain elements and a barnyard / hay main focus. It is upon this backdrop that the beer is able to go and vary considerably. Oddwood Ale’s beer here has hints of malt that act as a canvas upon which the sour mouth feel can build up as one continues along with the beer. The effort would be a fantastic purchase for those that are fans of farmhouse and saison style beers while the numerous other flavors presented here would be enough to raise the eyebrows of even the most jaded craft beer connoisseur. As Taming the Savage Heart continues to warm a different set of flavors begins to reach prominence. A slight bitterness works alongside the sour side of the beer, highlighting the tart, tangy side of the effort.

The wide chorus of flavors that are experience in this brew, coupled with the tendency to sail into increasingly sour straits means that an imbiber could conceivably come back time and time again to Taming the Savage Heart and find different tastes and experiences each time. Keep an eye out for our reviews of their Dancin’ Monks and Philosophizer; Oddwood Ales are currently available in Texas.

Aspen Brewing (Aspen, CO) and Casey Brewing and Blending ( Glenwood Springs, CO) have collaborated on an extremely-limited Biére de Garde. This effort pours with a hazy brownish color and a small amount of head that lays upon the top of the beer. The Biére de Garde’s nose is fairly funky, with prune and citrus elements present. On the initial sip, imbibers will experience vanilla, brown sugar, and fruity elements that are paired with biscuit malt tastes. The beer possesses just a hint of alcohol burn at the conclusion of each pull. Subsequent drinks will uncover sour, earth, wheat, orange and raisin flavors. Oak peeks through at points, creating something that is incredibly deep while providing a confident tone. Continue reading “Biére de Garde (Aspen / Casey)”